The Anti-terrorism Capacity of Caribbean Security Forces

• Author: Colvin Bishop and Oral Khan
• Pages: 391-412

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The Anti-terrorism Capacity of Caribbean Security Forces

The Anti-terrorism Capacity of

Caribbean Security Forces

Colvin Bishop and Oral Khan

The events of September 11th provide perhaps the most dramatic

illustration to date of the extraordinary degree of global economic, political

and security interdependence. … The overnight reordering of foreign policy

imperative in defence of domestic and international security, and the

enormous pressure being exerted on all countries to have their anti-

terrorism credentials ‘certified,’ has large implications for relations between

states. 1

Hon. Billie Antoinette Miller

Perhaps the clearest lesson of the past decade is that transnational security

threats can only be met with multinational security cooperation. Regional

conflicts … environmental disasters, even organized crime and trafficking,

these can only be solved through the broadest possible cooperation. The

same is true of terrorism. 2

Lord George Robertson

Introduction

Before the events of September 11, 2001 in the United States of America,

terrorism was not an issue that generated household discussion in the

Caribbean. After that date, though, there have been many human interest

stories that involved Caribbean people, some about those whose lives were

lost in the World Trade Center and some about those who survived by God’s

amazing grace. Since then, terrorism has been planted into the region’s

consciousness in a way that has before been unknown. The reality that there

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Caribbean Security in the Age of Terror

are men and women who will employ extreme violence, in ways yet to be

imagined, to change a way of life when the accepted political processes do

not meet their ends, is now a phenomenon no one can dismiss. The means to

execute violent acts are no longer only in the hands of state actors. Modern

communication systems ensure that the results of terrorist actions are

transmitted in real time, and visit us directly in our living rooms. Today, no

country or region could believe itself to be unaffected by what has been

described by many as ‘the primary security threat of the twenty-first century’

– terrorism.3

This chapter sets out to review the anti-terrorism capabilities of security

forces in the Caribbean, paying particular attention to the English-speaking

Caribbean. In doing this, it will discuss the prerequisite elements of an effective

security initiative. Effectiveness, though, has to be viewed in relation to

credible threats. We then proffer a response framework for an anti-terror

programme and then set out to outline existing regional and national security

arrangements that could be brought to bear in the fight against terrorism.

Specifically, the chapter will consider whether there might be a more

prominent role for the militaries in the region, particularly in planning for

and coordinating the response to any terror incident.

It is important to explain our use of the terms anti-terrorism and counter-

terrorism. The menu of options that may be employed to protect against

terrorism is traditionally described as either anti-terrorist or counter-terrorist.

Although these terms are at times used interchangeably, anti-terrorism is the

term generally applied to mean all measures intended to prevent terrorist

acts. These involve measures to deny would-be terrorists the resources, the

means, and the opportunity to mobilise, organise, plan and execute activities

to further their objectives. Anti-terrorism could include limited offensive action.

On the other hand, counter-terrorism is the term generally applied to measures

designed to combat, defeat, disrupt or destroy terrorists and their

organisations.4

Effectiveness and Terrorism in Perspective

Effectiveness from a security standpoint has conceptual, moral and

physical components.5 In the context of an anti-terrorist initiative, the

conceptual framework required has to encompass both international and

national dimensions. It involves an understanding of the world-view on

terrorism, an appreciation for the social and cultural complexities that

characterise relations between states and also relations between the power